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yeah and lots of girls that want to go home with you. so if you were unsuccessful wherever you were before and still have energy to deal with stupid people. windows is/was the place to go. i'm sure there's better places now?

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Beijing is a great place, I spent 2 years there, 2 years now in Shanghai. You can`t really compare the 2 cities, they are so different. For tourism, Beijing is much much better, Shanghai there is almost nothing to see/visit. If you are into shopping of Antiques Beijing is good, for clothes Shanghai is better, clubbing as well. However, Beijing does have a place that I used to love : Suzie Wong..I know it changed and I haven`t been there since. You hsould drop there if you can (it`s a bar/club). This was the only place I knew at the time, spinning some good house, other Beijing clubs used to stick only to commercial hiphop crap.

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i just spent a day and a half in Shanghai, and checked out a couple of stores worth mentioning here:

BY - favorite store i found in SH. great selection of DBSS (all the clothes, shoes, and boots), lots of Lad Musician, M. Hoolywood. good selection of footwear and leather bags too. the markup is not as bad compared to the other stores in SH, or even the US (blackbird) for that matter.

Joyce - undercover, number (n)ine, ann d, juun j, mihara, yohji, damir, julius, etc. clothes, footwear and accessories. they carry a lot of cool stuff, but it all comes with a really expensive markup ... like +50% or more

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yeah, BY and Joyce only opened within the past year or year and a half. Joyce is kind of big, its in Plaza 66. BY is a small boutique, but has a huge selection.

i talked with the owner of By for a while. i asked him if it is hard to run this kind of store in Shanghai since everyone in china likes to bargain ("da ze") and nobody in China really knows those brands he carries. he says he goes through many days without a single sale, but when he does have a customer, they usually buy up a lot, like $1000 to $10k+ in purchases. his store is kind of structured like a "by appointment" or "members only" set up. he told me if he can tell a customer sincerely likes these brands, then he will reduce the markup even more for these members and bring it a lot closer to japanese reg retail prices.

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yeah, BY and Joyce only opened within the past year or year and a half. Joyce is kind of big, its in Plaza 66. BY is a small boutique, but has a huge selection.

WHERE is BY?

JOYCE and IT are top HK retailers logically extending their trade and networks to Shanghai at higher prices than HK.

However, Joyce has their seconds store at Redtown in the Sculpture Park on Huaihai Xi Lu. If you are lucky, you will find that super dope piece at sometimes 25% of retail full price. The longer the item sits on the rack, the cheaper it becomes......

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Beijing is great, but it's too large and too spread out to get anything done. You'll spend most of your day in a small cab and walking in and through police barricades. Other Chinese cities are also amazing but if you are new to China Shanghai is a perfect intro.

Shanghai is huge and has a million small neighborhoods you can walk around in all day. Some are high class like Xian Tian Di where you can fill up on expensive Western and 'Asian Inspired' dishes and feel real classy doing so. Or you can head out to the more local neighborhoods like the French Concession and get a great mix of local shops and designer stores.

Nightlife:

You have to hit up the SHELTER. It's in a underground old school bomb shelter and it's always packed with expat kids and a huge number of Shanghai's local creative community. Everyone is having a great time and the music is more hit than miss.

Also, check out Cotton's on An ting lu. It's an old embassy, gutted, and re done into a elegant bar/resto with great drinks and food. The owner, Cotton, is an amazing woman who started the place through pure grit and determination. It also has a huge, candle-lit, out door area where you can drink undisturbed and listen to quite music, the street, and a mix of conversations in all languages.

A must do: rent, borrow, or even buy a bike and ride around the whole city. You can buy a used / old bike for around 80 to 100 RMB (and that's if your a foreigner) and buy a cheap (15 RMB) lock. Bike around to all the different neighborhoods and great bars. If your ride gets stolen--big deal. You lose 10 bucks but it's a great way to get around.

FOOD:

You must go to one of the street Kebab restaurants. You can pick out a huge assortments of Kebabs and watch them cook outside on a small plastic chair. Enjoy them with a cold 24 oz Tsingtao or Reeb and relax and enjoy the sites. You won't get sick! These kebabs are grilled all the way through and are far better than any expensive restaurant. Your bill will be 40 RMB and the MOST.

Avoid the Window's Bar chains. Cheap beer for expats but it's just like a bar back home. Avoid it unless your really really homesick.

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You must go to one of the street Kebab restaurants. You can pick out a huge assortments of Kebabs and watch them cook outside on a small plastic chair. Enjoy them with a cold 24 oz Tsingtao or Reeb and relax and enjoy the sites. You won't get sick! These kebabs are grilled all the way through and are far better than any expensive restaurant. Your bill will be 40 RMB and the MOST.

i dunno man, you never know how long those meats have been sitting out before they were cooked, or even how old it is. actually u cant even be sure they are real "lamb" meat.

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nah biking in Shanghai isnt as bad as it seems... i had a bike in SH and rode it to school everyday and to get food and shit. i can see how it can be a little daunting at first when cars drive pass 1 foot away from you, but after you get used to the rules of the road (or lack of), it's actually pretty fun.

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should i go to taikang lu, julu lu, jinxian lu or any other streets? which one is better?

I heard that Taikang lu is only for tourist....etc

Taikang Lu is a little touristy but there are a few things worth looking at - look for La Vie or Helen Li or just outside the lanes on Taikang Lu near Sinan Lu is Choichango.

Jinxian Lu, julu Lu, Xinle Lu and Changle are all filled with great looking boutiques - some have the fake labels, and others are local designers trying to do their thing - mostly inspired by foreign trends. You really got to hit the pavement and just look around. there is loads of good stuff at great prices.

Jinxian Lu is my favourite street at the mnoment - some great cafes, shops, antiques and Lomo!

Also - check out newly opened Exception in Xintiandi south block - beautiful store with recycled woods and rustic fashion.....

i went shopping last night...You are right! changle lu, xinle lu and julu are full of fake brands. I really hated this copy right thingy from China and that is why i strictly refuse to purchase from them. Even for the smaller independent brands, i see 100% similar designs from different brands. what is this, free design from the factory?...I love this local brand Even penniless...nice

Taikang Lu is a little touristy but there are a few things worth looking at - look for La Vie or Helen Li or just outside the lanes on Taikang Lu near Sinan Lu is Choichango.

Jinxian Lu, julu Lu, Xinle Lu and Changle are all filled with great looking boutiques - some have the fake labels, and others are local designers trying to do their thing - mostly inspired by foreign trends. You really got to hit the pavement and just look around. there is loads of good stuff at great prices.

Jinxian Lu is my favourite street at the mnoment - some great cafes, shops, antiques and Lomo!

Also - check out newly opened Exception in Xintiandi south block - beautiful store with recycled woods and rustic fashion.....